1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automatic cassette changer which automatically exchanges various types of cassettes in which recording media in the form of tapes or disks are accommodated to effect continuous recording and/or reproduction of the cassettes over a long period of time.
2. Description of the Related Art
An automatic cassette changer for a television broadcasting station wherein a plurality of types of cassettes having different sizes are automatically exchanged to effect continuous reproduction, recording or edition of video signals over a long period of time has been proposed by the assignee of the present patent application and is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application No. Heisei 3-315196.
The automatic cassette changer employs a shutter plate of the pivoting type and a photo-sensor as means for detecting the size and the accommodation position of any of a plurality of types of cassettes which are accommodated in a plurality accommodating racks and have different sizes. The shutter plates of the pivoting type and the photo-sensors are mounted independently of each other in conformity with the accommodation positions of the cassettes of the accommodating racks.
Accordingly, the automatic cassette changer must be provided with a large number of shutter plates of the pivoting type equal to the number of photo-sensors. Further, since a large number of photo-sensors are mounted independently of each other, a large number of sensor base plates equal to the number of the photo-sensors must be provided. Accordingly, the automatic cassette chamber is disadvantageous in that the number of parts and the number of assembling steps are very great and a very high cost is required, and besides that also wiring of wiring lines to the sensor base plates is complicated.